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| COMTÉ® CHEESE MELTS ONTO A BISTRO-STYLE BURGER EASY ENOUGH TO MAKE AT HOME |
When you want a superb cheese to serve with crackers and wine, make a grilled cheese sandwich or top tonight's casserile, consider choosing Comté. Some reasons to reach for this wonderful French mountain cheese:
Whether you grew up in Paris or Peoria, bistro cooking is a style you can embrace. No-nonsense preparation…authentic flavors…generous portions…what's not to love? At Nice Matin, a bistro in New York City, Chef/Partner Andy D'Amico serves a big juicy burger with caramelized onions and warmed Comté cheese on top (pictured). Another special touch is the dollup of freshly made aioli-the garlic-scented mayonnaise for which France is famous. It makes sense to simplify the aioli when making this supremely satisfying burger at home, but you can use the same aged country cheese D'Amico chooses for his menu. "Comté has a wonderful rich flavor and it melts beautifully," he says. Salads are another staple of bistro menus. "They're not arranged like fussy still lifes," observes French food authority Patricia Wells in her classic Bistro Cooking (Workman). "Rather, the entire salad bowl arrives at the table, ready to be tossed and served." One combination that's substantial enough to serve as a main course features smoked sausage, Comté cut in matchsticks and curly endive in a piquant chive dressing. Comté cheese, which has been called "one of the most enjoyable, versatile cheeses imaginable" by Steve Jenkins, author of Cheese Primer (Workman), is the kind of ingredient that shines in straightforward bistro cooking. In France's Jura Mountains, artisans have made Comté in the same meticulous way for more than a thousand years. Unlike other cheeses in the gruyère family, Comté is aged patiently for a minimum of four months and more often eight to twelve months. At the end of that time, it emerges with the enticing aroma and flavor that make it a natural for bistro cooking. Authentic Comté cheese can be identified by the bell symbol stamped in brown-or in green, for "Comté Extra" - on the natural rind. The right to this mark is earned only after meeting demanding quality standards set by the producers' associations. Comté has also been singled out by the European Union as a regional product that qualifies for PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) certification. For more information about Comté cheese, contact cauguie@aol.com or visit www.comte.com. 
Top a grilled beef patty with caramelized onions and slices of Comté® cheese, and voila! A bistro-style burger to enjoy at home.
Photo courtesy of Comté® CheeseDELUXE COMTÉ® CHEESEBURGER Adapted from Chef/Partner Andy D'Amico, Nice Matin, New York City 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, thinly sliced 2 pounds ground chuck 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 sandwich rolls, halved 8 slices Comté cheese (about 8 ounces) 4 leaves radicchio or red-leaf lettuce 4 tomato slices To prepare garlic mayonnaise: In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and garlic; set aside. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, about 10 minutes; reduce heat to low; cook until very soft and golden, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes; remove to a small bowl. Meanwhile, gently shape beef in four half-inch thick burgers; sprinkle both sides of each burger with salt. In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook burgers until well browned on both sides and done as desired, about 12 minutes for medium. To serve: On the bottom half of each roll, place a burger, a quarter of the onions, two Comté cheese slices and a dollup of the garlic mayonnaise. On the cut side of the roll top, place a radicchio leaf and a tomato slice. Serve with french fries or salad, if desired. YIELD: 4 servings BISTRO SALAD WITH SAUSAGE AND COMTÉ® Adapted from Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells 2 small tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 1/4 cup sliced chives 4 shallots, sliced crosswise in thin rings, or 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup peanut or olive oil 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 ounces precooked smoked sausages, such as knockwurst or kielbasa 8 ounces Comté cheese, cut in 1/4-inch matchsticks (about 2 cups) 4 cups curly endive (chicory) cut in bite-sized pieces In a medium-sized bowl, combine tomatoes, chives, shallots, oil, vinegar and salt; set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture. Remove and discard sausage casings; cut in 3/4-inch slices. Toss sausage and Comté cheese with tomato mixture remaining in the bowl. In a large bowl, toss endive and the reserved 3/4 cup tomato mixture; spoon in the center of serving plates. Arrange sausage and cheese mixture around the endive mixture. YIELD: 4 to 6 servings ** Comté® Cheese is one of the THREE EUROPEAN ORIGINALS. Others include Prosciutto di Parma® and Parmigiano-Reggiano®. **Leaflet Offer THREE EUROPEAN ORIGINALS: Recipes with the Taste of Tradition Enjoying great meals doesn't mean spending hours in the kitchen or bringing out your best china. It's about using the finest ingredients and knowing where they come from and how they were made. There's something very reassuring about the fact that regional European foods such as Parmigiano-Reggiano®, Prosciutto di Parma® and Comté® cheese have been made in the same way for centuries. These world-class products add great flavor and style to everyday meals. Think about trying these ideas, for instance: Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings on a grilled steak, microwaved fish fillets wrapped in Prosciutto di Parma, a toasted turkey club sandwich with melted Comté inside. To request free copies of three leaflets featuring recipes for these traditionally made regional products, contact: 3 European Originals, c/o Lewis & Neale Inc., 35 E. 21st St., New York, NY 10010; (212) 420-8808; info@lewis-neale.com.
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